Railtrail Annual Brochure 2018 UK

N E W T O U R

of the Waterways

Standedge Tunnel

East Lancs Railway

© ELR

10 DAYS

HOTELS A country house hotel situated in the heart of Ironbridge, providing a perfect base for visiting the Ironbridge Gorge Museums. With a Riverside setting and breathtaking views of the surrounding parkland, the hotel is a charming 44 bedroom Georgian listed building. Queen Hotel, Chester Situated in the heart of Chester, directly opposite the railway station, the Queen Hotel is characterised by its elegance and Victorian heritage. The en-suite bedrooms offer modern facilities including telephone, TV with Freeview, tea/coffee making facilities and free Wi-Fi. The hotel features delightful Italian gardens, bar and restaurant. Our busy final excursion heads first by train to Keighley for a steam ride through Brontë Country on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway . Our return is punctuated at Bingley for a towpath walk along our sixth wonder, Bingley’s Five Rise Locks . Finally, we enjoy some free time at UNESCO World Heritage living Victorian village, Saltaire , where Salt’s Mill houses exhibitions from local artist, David Hockney before our farewell dinner at the hotel. (B,D) DAY 10 Bid farewell to Bradford as we make our way homeward. (B) DAY 8 From Bradford we make the short train journey to Huddersfield, whose iconic station boasts a classical façade, flanked by two grand former booking offices of rival railway companies (now both pubs). Outside the station, a statue of Huddersfield’s most famous son, Harold Wilson, looks onto the George Hotel, the birthplace of Rugby League. Changing trains, we climb into the Pennines to Marsden , where a short walk along the towpath brings us to Standedge Tunnels and a boat trip into our fifth wonder, the longest, highest and deepest canal tunnel in Britain . DAY 9 © Mike Peel © STVCCRT Best Western Valley Hotel, Ironbridge

DAY 6 This morning we transfer to Wallasey to join one of the scheduled Mersey Ferries Manchester Ship Canal cruises , the mighty waterway that brought ocean-going freighters from around the world into the heart of the city. The route into Manchester passes lofty railway flyover bridges, locks and swing bridges on a breathtaking scale, as well as the third of our ‘Six Wonders’, the Barton Swing Aqueduct . The modern architecture of Salford Quays welcomes us to the city, after which we transfer for a night at the Best Western Higher Trapp Country House Hotel, overlooking Pendle Hill. (B,D) DAY 7 This morning we steam through the Lancashire hills along the River Irwell on the East Lancashire Railway , before returning to Burnley to visit theWeavers’ Triangle, situated on the Leeds Liverpool Canal where many buildings from the cotton industry remain. A local guide takes us along the towpath to walk part of Burnley Embankment , the fourth of our ‘Six Wonders’, which carries the canal 60 feet above the town centre. Our train from Burnley Manchester Road transports us across the Pennines from Lancashire to Yorkshire and a great railway hotel, Bradford’s Midland. (B,D)

DEPARTS

Saturday 9 June 2018

FARES

FARE REGION

FIRST STANDARD RC

London: Paddington (Return Kings Cross) £1375 £1285 -£10 Greater London £1415 £1305 -£10 South of England £1420 £1310 -£10 East Anglia £1445 £1325 -£15 South West £1420 £1310 -£10 Heart of England £1355 £1275 -£10 Midlands £1255 £1230 -£5 Yorkshire N/A £1250 -£5 North East N/A £1300 -£10 North West N/A £1250 -£5 South Wales N/A £1275 -£10 North Wales N/A £1265 -£5 Scotland £1420 £1305 -£10 Join & Leave at Hotels £1195 Single Room Supplement £275 9 nights’ bed, breakfast & Table d’Hôte evening meal Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class) Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described All excursions and admissions as detailed Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager Hotel Porterage Best Western Higher Trapp Country House Hotel Situated near Burnley on the enchanting Pendle hillside, this traditional Country House hotel enjoys stunning views over the Lancashire countryside. Midland Hotel, Bradford Built between 1885 and 1890 by the Midland Railway Company, the Midland Hotel was a showpiece for the railway company’s northern operations, and is of particular architectural interest, with some of the finest Victorian interiors in the city. Today sees a hotel that has undergone a transformation, with investment to all areas of the building, restoring it to its original greatness.

Anderton Boat Lift

Book now – online at www.railtrail.co.uk or telephone: 01538 382323

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